what major should i take to be a lawyer

by Dr. Kiara Altenwerth DVM 7 min read

The Best Majors for Aspiring Lawyers

  • Business. A business major is a great option for those who are entrepreneurial-minded. Students interested in corporate...
  • Criminal Justice / Criminology. Criminal justice is the identification and explanation of criminal behavior patterns.
  • Economics. An economics major spends a lot of time summarizing large amounts of quantitative...

Common undergraduate majors for prelaw students include English, political science, economics, business, philosophy, and journalism. There's no correct major to pursue to get into law school. But according to legal educators, prospective J.D. students who take classes they enjoy report better GPA scores.Feb 17, 2022

Full Answer

What are the best colleges for becoming a lawyer?

Jan 03, 2022 · The Best Majors for Aspiring Lawyers Business. A business major is a great option for those who are entrepreneurial-minded. Students interested in corporate... Criminal Justice / Criminology. Criminal justice is the identification and explanation of criminal behavior patterns. Economics. An ...

What education do you need to become a lawyer?

Jun 20, 2016 · Coursework should include English, history, foreign language, public speaking, government, philosophy, economics, mathematics and computer science among others are useful. With that in mind, certain majors do seem somewhat common among pre-law students including Political Science, History, Philosophy and Business.

What is the best major for a lawyer?

What experience do you need to become a lawyer?

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What is the best major for law?

Top 10 Best Pre-law Majors (see also: what did most law school students major in?)Political Science - 9,612 admitted. ... Other - 2,917 admitted. ... Psychology - 2,960 admitted. ... Criminal Justice - 2,220 admitted. ... English - 2,564 admitted. ... History - 2,657 admitted. ... Economics - 2,373 admitted. ... Philosophy - 1,858 admitted.More items...•Jun 23, 2018

What majors do lawyers most?

The most popular major of law school candidates is political science. There's a reason why many successful politicians are lawyers—the link between law and political theory is very strong. Political science is the study of government systems, political behavior, and how the judicial system works.

Is Criminology a good major for law school?

A major in criminology can give you a strong foundation for understanding the criminal justice system, but it's not sufficient to become a lawyer. To practice law, you'll need to attend law school, take the bar exam and be licensed by your state's bar association.

Is Psychology a good major for law school?

Psychology This is a popular major for pre-law students, with 3,778 law school applicants holding a degree in this area. Their average LSAT score was 152.5, and 78 percent of applicants were admitted.

What are the skills required for an English major?

In this light, the critical thinking skills required of English majors mirror the skills required by law students.

What majors are challenging?

An ecology major might take up residence in environmental law. Science majors are challenging and require students to learn complex subject matter, analyze data, and arrive at provable conclusions.

What is the LSAT test?

The LSAT tests for critical thinking skills rather than subject matter expertise. Law schools look for candidates with abstract thinking skills, the ability to interpret written texts, and high reading comprehension. They want candidates that have fine reasoning abilities, the ability to think logically. Notice how all majors have students that ...

What is political science?

Political science is the study of government systems, political behavior, and how the judicial system works. This is where a political science degree shows its advantage in law school. Students in this field often have a better understanding of how laws are created and executed as well as the history behind them.

Is philosophy a good major?

The granddaddy of all mind-stretching mental exercises, philosophy is a fantastic major that builds a student’s ability to think critically and argue. Law is heavily based on philosophical elements like ethics, and human nature—subjects that are commonly taught in a philosophy major. Philosophy is a difficult major. It requires students to think analytically and form logical arguments. It also examines moral, political, and legal issues with no clear right or wrong while asking students to render judgment. Because of the difficulty level, some law schools may look more favorably at a degree in philosophy than a degree in a field like Criminal Justice.

What is legal studies?

Legal studies focus on topics that are rooted in economic analysis—torts, contracts, property rights, antitrust, business organizations, and regulations. In short, a study of economics is a study in the financial impact of the law. Because of this, economics is a great area of specialization for many potential law students because it remains ...

What is psychology major?

Through the psychology major’s coursework, students develop a solid understanding of how people can make correct or incorrect judgments that can lead to things like stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination. Psychology courses also teach students how to network and prepare for negotiations.

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English

  • Having a strong command of written and verbal skills will take you far as an attorney whether you're writing, researching or speaking in court. Analyzing great works of literature and historical texts from various cultures and time periods is great practice for the hours you'll spend in the la…
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Philosophy

  • Philosophy majors delve deep into the study of logic, ethics, and morality—areas of thought that also happen to be the cornerstones of law. You'll debate with classmates, present arguments and do a lot of research to support your case, which is not all that different from what lawyers do to prepare for court.
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Political Science

  • Of all majors, this may be the closest to a "law school" curriculum as you can get. In this major, you'll study political systems, public policy, international relations and the relationship between government, the law, and individual rights, among other things. You're required to analyze various written documents and data sets (think ancient texts to social media posts) and will learn to thin…
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Economics

  • Not only are economics majors trained to think logically and analytically, but economic policies and procedures, as well as how resources are distributed and managed, are topics closely connected to the legal issues you'll encounter as a lawyer. Any major that has you summarizing qualitative and quantitative data to solve problems is good training for your brain to seek out evi…
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Business

  • General business knowledge can be applied in almost any industry, and that holds true for aspiring attorneys as well. A business major is a good option for those who plan to go into corporate law. That said, be sure to supplement business fundamentals with humanities and liberal arts electives so you can train your analytical and critical thinking muscles, as well as pra…
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General Tips

  1. Consider majoring in a discipline that is related to the type of law you want to practice. Since you don't have to declare a specialty during law school, building a background as an undergraduate i...
  2. Choose a major or take electives that are heavy on research and writing. As mentioned earlier, those are the critical skills that will help you most in law school.
  1. Consider majoring in a discipline that is related to the type of law you want to practice. Since you don't have to declare a specialty during law school, building a background as an undergraduate i...
  2. Choose a major or take electives that are heavy on research and writing. As mentioned earlier, those are the critical skills that will help you most in law school.
  3. Whichever academic route you take, maintaining a strong GPA is essential if you aim to attend a selective law school program.

Political Science

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Average LSAT Score: 153.8 Average GPA: 3.39 The most popular major of law school candidates is political science. There’s a reason why many successful politicians are lawyers—the link between law and political theory is very strong. Political science is the study of government systems, political behavior, and how …
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Psychology

  • Average LSAT Score: 152.59 Average GPA: 3.35 Want to understand why people think, believe, and act the way they do? Psychology is the study of human behavior and the mental processes that fuel how people interact with each other and the world around them. Since the law is a system designed to govern human behavior, psychology can help lawmakers understand what ki…
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Criminal Justice

  • Average LSAT Score: 145.90 Average GPA: 3.22 Criminal justice is a natural fit for law school since coursework focuses on criminal justice topics. These programs often include courses on court proceedings, the correction systems, and many other aspects of the legal system. Criminal justice degrees emphasize strong research, analysis, and writing skills which are a necessity in l…
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English

  • Average LSAT Score: 155.25 Average GPA: 3.42 The English major is a very popular major for law school because of its immediately obvious benefits: advanced reading comprehension and persuasive writing skills. Students of the English major study dense and complex literature and are then required to process the information, make connections and create organized analytical …
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History

  • Average LSAT Score: 156.22 Average GPA: 3.45 A significant part of being a lawyer is understanding past precedent on different legal cases in the past. Is it any surprise then that history is a great major for law students? History studentsnot only study the events of the past, but also study the way different legal systems have evolved, court rulings, treaties, and other leg…
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Economics

  • Average LSAT Score: 158.93 Average GPA: 3.47 Economics is a topic that has drastically altered the shape of the law. This is because many laws are enacted to adjust and correct economic behavior by businesses and individuals in the marketplace. Legal studies focus on topics that are rooted in economic analysis—torts, contracts, property rights, antitrust, business organizations, …
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Philosophy

  • Average LSAT Score: 157.53 Average GPA: 3.43 The granddaddy of all mind-stretching mental exercises, philosophy is a fantastic major that builds a student’s ability to think critically and argue. Law is heavily based on philosophical elements like ethics, and human nature—subjects that are commonly taught in a philosophy major. Philosophy is a difficult major. It requires stude…
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Sociology

  • Average LSAT Score: 150.71 Average GPA: 3.29 Sociology is a great major for potential law students because it studies the big picture of society. It looks at the social issues we face in our society like poverty, economic justice, racial discrimination, and LGBT rights. Sociology looks at the way the law can help, and how to develop solutions to fight inequality. In this light, sociology …
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Communications

  • Average LSAT Score: 151.2 Average GPA: 3.32 Students with a passion for writing, public speaking, or negotiation often gravitate to the communications major. This major focuses on team building, organizational communication, and conflict management as well as developing critical thinking skills. These are all transferable skills when it comes to transitioning into law stu…
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Science

  • Average LSAT Score: 148.4 Average GPA: 3.21 When it comes to college admissions, the name of the game is usually to stand out from among your peers. There is no better way to stand out from the pack of law school applicants than with a science degree. While the degree may seem completely irrelevant to law, different areas of scientific study lend themselves well to specialize…
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